The present invention relates to an obstacle detecting control device of a vehicle that controls an operational device of the vehicle according to an obstacle state detected by an obstacle detecting device.
Conventionally, an obstacle detecting control device of a vehicle, which includes an obstacle detecting device to detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle and an operation control device to control an operational device of the vehicle according to an obstacle state detected by the obstacle detecting device, is known.
For example, an inter-vehicle distance alarming device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-36098, which makes a driver easily recognize the possibility or the increase of the possibility of being in contact with an obstacle different from a vehicle in front, is known.
However, the obstacle detecting control device of a vehicle equipped with the above inter-vehicle distance alarming device may have the following problem. Namely, in a case where a driver operates a steering wheel to make a vehicle turn at a curved corner or to make a vehicle traveling-lane change, the traveling vehicle would possibly avoid the contact with the obstacle in front. In this situation, however, the above conventional inter-vehicle distance alarming device may give the alarm in a normal manner despite a reduced risk of the contact with the obstacle. Namely, as long as it is detected that the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle is in a predetermined alarming distance, the device may give always the alarm. This means that the above alarming would be oversensitive and thereby a smooth vehicle driving would be deteriorated. In particular, when the vehicle travels on a narrow and winding road (a so-called crank road), an unnecessary alarming might happen regardless of a normal steering operation of the vehicle.